USA-based ice-cream parlour franchise Baskin Robbins has opened its 450th Middle East store. The Baskin Robbins Master Franchise for the Middle East Galadari Ice Cream Company (GICC) is planning to open 500 stores in the region by the end of this year.

Nigel Travis, CEO of Dunkin' Brands, which owns Baskin Robbins, said: 'As a franchisor, we stand on the shoulders of our franchise partners to build our brand. We congratulate our partner, the GICC, along with its management team on the 450th store opening in the Middle East.

'This milestone is exciting for all of us and it would not have been possible without the hard work and support of this tremendous team. We thank GICC for their dedication, passion and commitment, and most importantly, their partnership over the past 30 years.'

Manoj Loya, General Manager of Galadari Ice Cream Company, commented: 'In June alone, six new stores have been opened by the company across the region. GICC also plans to open 45 new stores in the region and is looking at entering new markets across Africa and Middle East.

'We are on an aggressive stance to pursue our expansion plans in spite of the general economic slowdown. We are confident of a sooner-than-expected turnaround in the region.

'As such, GICC's expansion includes diversifying across new store formats such as Café Baskin Robbins and BR Express with an aim to bring new and exciting ice cream and dessert based product experiences for our customers.'

Published: 9 July 2009

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